Dairy

In 1976, Frank Baker had an idea. A cheese baron from Wisconsin (naturally), Frank’s family had been selling cheese since 1916. Introduced to America in the 1940s, mozzarella became a hit in the U.S. after World War II with the proliferation of pizza joints, and Baker Cheese switched gears, ditching cheddar for mozzarella in order to meet the craze. Consumers were looking for individual servings they could eat as snacks rather than the 20-lb. blocks Frank’s family made, so he started playing around with the manufacturing process and started cutting blocks of mozzarella into strips that he would then braid them into 3-5″ ropes. Frank discovered that by soaking these mozzarella strips in a salt brine they would take on a stringy characteristic. Boom! In 1976, string cheese was born.

Interestingly, Frank originally marketed his string cheese to bars throughout Wisconsin. Patrons loved them and he eventually settled on a smaller, thinner cheese stick that people could hold more easily. The real stroke of genius was in the packaging: Frank opted for individually wrapped tubes that were vacuum packed, making his string cheese portable. It started finding its way into kids’ lunch boxes, and the rest is history.

Team Eat My Words (and we really have expanded to include a few of my coworkers, who have taken to these food tastings like post-war Americans took to pizza) wondered how different brands of string cheese tasted and set out on a journey of discovery. The rules were simple: string cheese only (there are lookalike cylindrical tubes of harder cheddars, but they go by the moniker “stick cheese” and were excluded due to an inability to peel them into stringy strips). We ended up with a face-off between four competitors: Frigo, Galbani, Kroger, and Horizon. All were mozzarella except the Galbani, which was a provolone. We looked at two key factors in our test: taste and peel-ability.

Frigo is probably the best-known brand. Their “Cheese Heads” in the familiar green packaging have been around for eons, and there is a good reason: they were the unanimous favorite among all four testers. We found the Frigo pleasantly cheesy, with a creamy yet pliable texture that was easy to peel. One person remarked that Frigo “tastes like childhood,” and I’m inclined to agree.

Surprisingly, we liked the Kroger brand second best. It was the softest of the four we tried and one taster declared it the “fakest” of the group – but this wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. Its flavor was a tad milder, but all in all it stood up on its own and makes a viable fill-in for those looking to save a few extra pennies.

Gearing up for the big string cheese taste-off.

Galbani touts itself as “Italy’s favorite cheese brand” and seems to be popping up in more and more stores lately. In retrospect we probably should have stuck with the mozzarella to ensure the competition was as evenly matched as possible, but I was intrigued over the prospect of a different type of string cheese and wanted to give the provolone a shot. We felt it had a more pronounced cheesiness than the others and was saltier, no doubt a result of the different flavor profile. Provolone is harder than mozzarella and this resulted in a string cheese that was more difficult to peel. It wasn’t bad by any means; some of us chose it as our runner-up. I’m curious to try their mozzarella version next.

Horizon was both the most expensive brand we tried, and our least favorite. This just goes to show that price doesn’t always translate to quality. Horizon’s string cheese is all organic, and there’s a lot to like about this brand – they did, after all, do very well in our boxed mac ‘n cheese challenge – but when it comes to string cheese, they fell just short of the mark. The Horizon tasted the most “authentically cheesy” out of all four brands, but was firmer than the others and more difficult to peel. In the end, it just didn’t have the “wow” factor the others had. We do not think Horizon is worth the extra money, especially compared to the far cheaper Kroger brand.

I’d always considered the creamy delicacy a fairly healthy choice. Unbeknownst to me, those weekly cups of yogurt were a dietitian’s nightmare; they packed a whopping 27-33 grams of sugar and 30+ grams of carbohydrates per serving, in exchange for maybe 6g of protein and nearly 200 calories. Yet I was fooled into thinking they were good for me for two reasons: they were labeled “lowfat” and I never paid much attention to labels, anyway. Despite Tara’s warnings.

Nowadays, I’m much more health conscious, severely limiting my sugar and carb intake. Following my diabetes diagnosis I learned that “regular” yogurt was off-limits, but Greek yogurt was a perfectly acceptable substitute. The only downside? I found the sour flavor off-putting. But a funny thing happened on the road to a healthy recovery: I grew to like Greek yogurt. A lot, as a matter of fact. I consider myself somewhat of an expert, especially after the past month.

Greek yogurt differs from regular yogurt in that the liquid whey is strained off, resulting in a thicker, richer, and creamier texture and consistency (this also explains the extra tartness). The straining process removes some of the lactose, making Greek yogurt much lower in sugar than the regular stuff; in addition, it’s got double the protein, half the carbs, and half the sodium of regular yogurt. For the uninitiated, the more protein a food has, the more “full” you feel after eating it. This is good for weight loss; the longer you feel satiated, the less likely you are to indulge in between-meal snacks. Other benefits of Greek yogurt: it’s chock full of probiotics, which aid in digestion and boost the immune system; it’s high in calcium, important for strong muscles and bones; and is a great source of potassium and vitamin B-12. Greek yogurt is an excellent substitute for mayonnaise, sour cream, butter, oil, and cream cheese. Pretty much the perfect food, no?

Well…as long as you choose wisely. Go for plain yogurt with few and simple ingredients, avoid added sugars and artificial ingredients, and remember: the more protein, the better. So that artificially flavored Strawberry Cheesecake Greek yogurt might taste indulgent, but it’s hardly a healthy choice. And despite past recommendations to the contrary, a little fat is good. It keeps you feeling fuller longer and can actually help you lose weight in the long run. Crazy concept for many to grasp, I know.

With all this in mind, I set out to find the perfect Greek yogurt. Dannon Light ‘n Fit was my gateway Greek yogurt drug, if you will, until I looked at the label and learned it wasn’t so good for you. A little bit of research pointed me in the right direction, and for the past month I have been eating a lot of Greek yogurt. All in the name of science, kids! To keep the playing field level, I stuck with plain, though I did try different variations that included fat-free, low-fat, and full-fat options. The brands I tried were: Dannon, Fage, Zoi, Wallaby Organic, Stonyfield Farms, Maple Hill Creamery, Blue Isle, Siggi’s, and Trader Joe’s. There were wide variations in flavor and texture between them all – much more so than I’d initially anticipated. Narrowing down my favorites, in order, was a daunting task, especially when it came to choosing an overall winner. In fact, I ended up soliciting the input of four coworkers, all of whom attacked the challenge with gusto. While no brand was the unanimous victor, there was enough of a general consensus to help me rank them. Without further ado, here are my Top 5 choices for Best Greek* Yogurt, taking into account both taste and nutrition.

Actually, there will be a little ado before I get to the best. First off, a couple I didn’t care for.

Zoi Nonfat Plain Greek Yogurt A coworker recommended this one, but I was not impressed. Though I wasn’t looking at sodium content, this brand was incredibly salty and the consistency was thin and watery. I did not care for it at all.

Maple Hill Creamery Plain Greek Yogurt. I had high hopes for this one because of the fact that it’s made with 100% grass-fed cow’s milk. It’s a whole milk so it’s pretty rich and decadent, but all I tasted was grass.

These were decent, but not my favorites. We’ll call them honorable mentions.

5. Stonyfield Organic Whole Milk Plain Greek Yogurt. As a general rule, the whole milk yogurts we tried were the most flavorful and decadent of the bunch. Stonyfield’s Greek yogurts are certified USDA organic and made from pasture-raised cows. They are non-GMO, gluten-free, and kosher certified, so your conscience can certainly rest at ease. One container has 120 calories, 5g of sugar, and 14g of protein. Tangy and rich, but in our blind taste test, this one finished behind the others.

4. Blue Isle Whole Milk Plain Greek Yogurt. Blue Isle is best known for their award-winning Greek yogurt spreads, having only recently expanded into actual Greek yogurt. This one was creamy and smooth and the flavor was a little less tangier than others, which may explain why two of us chose it as our favorite in the blind portion of our taste test. It’s got 110 calories and 4g of sugar, very impressive for a whole milk yogurt, but unfortunately contains only 7g of protein. It also is made with whey protein concentrate and pectin – odd additions, considering most of the others we tasted consisted only of milk (and cream in some cases) and live cultures.

3. Wallaby Organic Whole Milk Plain Greek Yogurt. This variety is only available in a 32-ounce container, but you can get around that by buying one of the Purely Unsweetened options and leaving out the fruit, which is what we did for our test. It’s worth the effort, too – this flavor received the most votes in the blind portion of our taste test. We found it to be rich, creamy, and smooth, with just the right note of sourness. At 120 calories and 5g of sugar it compares favorably with the others, but its protein content (10g) is a little less impressive than the top two. Regardless, this is a very good yogurt made with cultured pasteurized organic milk and cream, and with only 5g of fat is worth the splurge over the 2% version.

2. Fage Total 2% Plain Greek Yogurt. Fage is one of the best-known and most popular Greek yogurt brands in the U.S., and with good reason: their yogurt is very good, bordering on decadent. It hits all the right flavor notes – creamy, smooth, and rich, with a tanginess that makes you take notice but does not overwhelm – and has probably the best consistency and texture out of the group, thick but not overly so. It’s a great general-purpose Greek yogurt that is delicious on its own and as a topping. The container is a little larger than the other varieties (7 oz. versus the standard 5.3 oz.) so the calories (150) and sugar content (8g) are a little higher, but so is the protein (20 g). Its ingredients list is impressively short and simple: Grade A pasteurized skim milk and cream and live active cultures. Because it’s a 2% yogurt it’s lower in fat (4g) but proof that you don’t have to sacrifice taste. The only drawback? The fact that it’s not organic. This could very well have been my #1 choice, but in a tight race, that distinction goes to…

1. Siggi’s Icelandic style Skyr Plain Strained Non-fat Yogurt. How can a non-Greek yogurt finish first in a sampling of Greek yogurts? Simple: what we call Greek yogurt in the U.S., the rest of the world calls strained yogurt. Icelandic-style Skyr is, for all intents and purposes, as “Greek” as most of the others on our list. I’ll admit I did not realize this myself when first embarking upon my quest, and while I have been a fan of Siggi’s for awhile now, did not initially include it in my testing. Until I discovered that loophole. What’s to love about Siggi’s? Pretty much everything. The whole product line is very low in sugar, making even the flavored varieties surprisingly nutritious choices (they contain only 9-11g of sugar and are flavored with natural fruit and agave nectar or cane sugar). There are nonfat, low-fat and whole milk varieties, in unique flavors including strawberry and rhubarb, mixed berries and acai, and pumpkin spice, and all are reasonably healthy. Our plain nonfat variety has a mere 100 calories and 3g of sugar, and packs in 17g of protein, making it the clear nutritional powerhouse of the group. The yogurt itself is also thicker than the others (you’ll have no problem standing a spoon straight up in it) and has a distinctively sharp bite, but is very creamy and feels more like a treat than the other brands. This all-natural yogurt is made of milk from grass-fed cows and boasts no aspartame or sucralose, no gelatin, no artificial colorings, no preservatives, no high fructose corn syrup. And it’s verified non-GMO. All these factors combine to make it the best of the best.

We’ve got a special treat froyo today: a new food holiday to celebrate! June 4th is National Frozen Yogurt Day.

It’s also National Cheese Day, and that’s what we chose to celebrate last year. Tara’s mac ‘n cheese is bomb-diggety! It’s also National Cognac Day, which means in 2015 we may be celebrating yet another food holiday on June 4. Incidentally, some sources list Frozen Yogurt Day as February 6, but that makes about as much sense as celebrating cotton candy in December!

People have been enjoying yogurt (sometimes spelled yoghurt, though that just yoghurts my eyes) for thousands of years, mostly in the Middle East and India. To make yogurt, milk is fermented by bacteria known as yogurt cultures. These cultures turn lactose into lactic acid, which gives yogurt its distinctive texture and – like Hank Williams – tang.

No, wait. That’s twang. My bad.

Yogurt was introduced to the U.S. in the early 1900s, and quickly gained popularity as a health food. Even though there seems to be a TCBY or Menchie’s on every street corner now, frozen yogurt wasn’t actually created until the 1970s. It failed spectacularly at first; people were put off by the sharp taste, much preferring the sweet flavor of ice cream. TCBY came along in 1981 with a sweeter version, and sales took off. People loved eating “fro-yo” while rocking out to Wang Chung! Especially when they could add their own toppings (which included items like M&Ms, granola, and fruit). But the American public, being fickle, decided once again that you just couldn’t beat high-fat ice cream, and frozen yogurt sales dropped off in the 90s. As did Wang Chung record sales. A possible correlation? By the mid-2000s tastes had changed again, and suddenly the too-tart frozen yogurt that was shunned in the 70s became all the rage. Sales in 2013 were higher than ever.

Visiting a frozen yogurt shop in the 80s was a rite of passage every bit as popular as grabbing a VHS movie from the video store. However, much like the latter pursuit, I hadn’t been to a frozen yogurt place in years. That streak remains intact, but Tara stopped by the local Menchie’s and picked us up small cups of vanilla, chocolate, and pistachio to share. I’m an old-fashioned guy and liked the vanilla best, while Tara preferred the chocolate. In fact, it was so enjoyable, we just might have to add frozen yogurt back into our routines as an occasional treat.

Most of us have enjoyed an occasional Eskimo Pie over the years. What’s not to love about vanilla ice cream coated in chocolate and eaten off a stick? Since their invention in 1921 there have been plenty of imitators, some lousy and some great. Tillamook’s new line of Tillabars definitely falls into the latter category.

If you’re unfamiliar with Tillamook, then you have my pity. Technically known as Tillamook County Creamery Association, this dairy cooperative located on the Oregon coast began producing cheese in 1946. Over the years, their product line has expanded to include butter, sour cream, yogurt, and ice cream. Tillamook is a little pricier than some brands, but worth it; I refuse to buy any other brand of cheese, and usually opt for their other products, as well, for the simple fact that they taste better. So when Tillamook introduced a line of ice cream bars known as Tillabars a few months ago, I was eager to try them out.

Tillabars come in four different flavors: Old-Fashioned Vanilla, Mooocha Latte, Salted Caramel Swirl, and Lemonilla. We tried the Old-Fashioned Vanilla and Lemonilla flavors, and both were rich, creamy, and delicious. Once again, it’s the quality of the ingredients that sets Tillamook apart. Their vanilla ice cream is already decadent, so enrobing it in chocolate only increases the “mmm” factor. This is a pretty basic ice cream bar, but for those whose motto is “why mess with perfection,” it’s the perfect choice for a warm summer night. Or a cool spring morning. Whenever you’re in the mood for a sweet treat, as a matter of fact, clocks be damned! But Tillamook really nails it with the Lemonilla bar. It’s lemon sorbet surrounded by vanilla ice cream and coated in white chocolate. The first bite is sinfully sweet, but when you reach the tart lemon sorbet in the center, the flavors mingle and provide a perfect contrast. It’s sweet! It’s tart! It’s….heavenly.

Last night I was making meatballs, and was forced to break a cardinal rule by using Kraft parmesan cheese – the powdery stuff with a sawdust-like consistency – in place of the Parmigiano-Reggiano I normally use. I hadn’t realized we were out of the “good stuff” until I started cooking, and at that point there was no turning back. Desperate times called for desperate measures. “How much of a difference can it really make?” I asked myself.

The sad truth is, a lot.

The Italian wedding soup I was making turned out fine, but the meatballs were definitely missing something. I tried to compensate for the lack of real cheese by adding garlic salt, minced onion, and parsley, but it was all for naught. They were blander than usual. At that point, I began to wonder what – exactly – is in that can of Kraft parmesan, a childhood staple growing up that has long since fallen out of favor, except to shake onto slices of pizza. The can does say it’s made with “100% real grated parmesan, no fillers.” So I did some digging, and it turns out our definition of parmesan differs from Europe’s definition of parmesan.

The only true parmesan is Parmigiano-Reggiano, a hard cow’s milk cheese produced in the Parma, Reggio-Emilia, Modena, and Bologna regions of Italy. Under European law, only cheese produced in this region can be called Parmigiano-Reggiano. There’s a very exacting process of producing this cheese (cows must be fed grass or hay only; the cheese is made in heated copper kettles, rested in molds, soaked in brine, then allowed to age a minimum of twelve months; it contains unpasteurized milk, salt, and rennet only; etc.). The cheese has a long history, and was originally created during the Middle Ages in Bibbiano, Italy. While the name is trademarked in Europe, no such rules apply outside of that continent. In the U.S. and other countries, commercially produced imitation cheeses can be sold under the generic name “parmesan.”

And that’s where our friend in the green can comes in.

Real parmesan looks like this.

Kraft first introduced the product in 1945. It gained widespread popularity as a topping for spaghetti and other pastas. There was always a can in the fridge growing up. My dad called it “stinky cheese.” We used it liberally. Though what exactly we were using is open to debate. Kraft developed a process in which the cheese is aged a mere six months, rather than the year or two required of true parmesan. This was nothing more than a business decision for Kraft: less time on the shelf opens up costly plant space and cuts down on production costs. Both Italians and smaller U.S. cheese makers scoff at the idea. Paul Bauer of Wisconsin’s Antigo Cheese Co. says cheese cured in six months “is not parmesan. Parmesan is cheese that develops its flavor over time.”

Be that as it may, the FDA stands behind Kraft’s shorter-production “parmesan” cheese. Let’s not even get into the fact that it contains ingredients such as “cellulose powder” and “potassium sorbate.”

All I know is, my meatballs did not taste the same, and based on everything I’ve read, I can blame it on the fake cheese.

If you’ve got a sweet tooth, today’s holiday is music to your ears. December 13 is National Ice Cream and Violins Day!

OK. Say what?! I am definitely left scratching my head over this one. We’ve celebrated some odd food holidays this year, but today’s takes the cake. The origin of this holiday is shrouded in mystery, so all we can do is take a stab at a wild guess. There is one possible explanation that at least can’t be completely ruled out. December 13 is widely known as National Violin Day. And on this date in 2010, rock violinist Ben Lee of FUSE broke the Guinness World Record for the Fastest Violin Player by playing more than 14 notes per second. Maybe he went out for ice cream to celebrate afterwards! Whatever the reason, today we pay homage to the sweet duo.

Only…exactly how are we supposed to do so? I have no musical talent whatsoever. I mean, I can play a kazoo if need be, and could probably get by on the tambourine, but a violin is a sophisticated musical instrument that takes years of practice to master. I’m pretty sure if I picked one up and started playing the result would be akin to nails on a chalkboard, not people settling down to enjoy ice cream.

So, we decided on a compromise: we would have a bowl of ice cream while listening to violins. It just so happens we’ve got some CDs by Jimmy be Free, a local violinist who usually hangs out at the Portland International Airport playing music for passersby. Weird gig, huh? He happened to play at a company event a few months ago and so impressed Tara, she bought some of his CDs. We dished up a couple of scoops, hit PLAY, and paid honor to both ice cream and violins.

You can view a video – music and all – of this event on Facebook. Just click on the link!

Those fond of hair gel, large antlered deer-like creatures, and foamy desserts all have reason to celebrate. November 30 is National Mousse Day!

OK, in reality, we’re only celebrating one type of mousse, and it’s not the kind that walks on four legs or keeps your hair neatly in place. Food blog, remember? Mousse is a classic dessert that has the distinction of being light yet rich. It is French for “foam” or “froth” and gets its consistency from folding in beaten egg whites or whipped cream. Mousse is usually made with chocolate, though the first mousses to appear were savory creations in 18th century France. Dessert mousses, often made with fruit, became commonplace in the latter half of the 19th century. One of the earliest recipes for chocolate mousse was printed in the Boston Daily Globe in 1892, but this was more of a pudding-like dessert. Foamy, airy “modern” chocolate mousses didn’t appear until the 1930s, when electric mixers were invented.

Mixing the mousse.

By the way, we already celebrated a National Chocolate Mousse Day earlier in the year, so this holiday is redundant. It doesn’t specifically mention chocolate, though. But when I mentioned this to Tara, she said, “what other kind of mousse is there?” That wife of mine, she’s got a point. And just like she did in early April, she again made a homemade mousse from scratch. This time she tried a recipe other than Julia Childs’. Tara actually liked it much better this time around. I have to admit, this one was lighter than the last. Delicious!

Sundae, bloody sundae. Again. I know you’re supposed to scream for ice cream, but when you’re on your third go-round celebrating the same food holiday, you’re more likely to want to scream in frustration instead. November 11 is National Sundae Day…

It’s not that I don’t enjoy a good ice cream sundae. Of course I do. But I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: there are so many other deserving foods that don’t have their own holiday yet, it seems unfair to simply regurgitate different variations of the same thing. Actually, I think I’m more irritated over the fact that I have nothing new to say, but feel like I’ve got a certain amount of white space to fill before I can hit “publish.” I watch that word count carefully, believe me! And since we’ve already done hot fudge sundaes and strawberry sundaes, well…

…same old dilemma.

Not to mention the fact that sundaes are much more enjoyable in the summer months. Not November. It’s like drinking hot chocolate in July. Who’d want to do that?

But I really shouldn’t complain. We’re entering the home stretch now. And really, I’m bellyaching because we have to eat an ice cream sundae?! Oh, woe is me. First world problems indeed. 🙂

So of course, we made sundaes. And we licked our spoons when we were finished.

You’re probably feeling blue if you aren’t into mold, but I’m a fun guy, so I was excited for this holiday. October 9 is National Moldy Cheese Day!

Quit turning your nose up. It’s also National Submarine-Hoagie-Hero-Grinder Day, but where’s the fun in that? Besides, we’ve already celebrated hoagies this year. If the thought of eating moldy cheese disgusts you, get over it. Most cheeses are made with mold! Some, of course, are moldier than others, and that’s the point of today’s holiday. Think blue, gorgonzola, roquefort, or stilton. These last three all carry a “protected designation of origin” in the European Union, meaning they must be made in a particular region or country to be labeled with those names. Blue cheeses without the protected origin name are simply called “blue cheese” (or, alternatively, bleu cheese).

Blue cheese is injected with penicillium mold cultures and aged in temperature-controlled environments. Not surprisingly, it was discovered by accident, when cheese stored in caves developed a harmless type of mold. Hats off to the first person who actually decided to take a bite! Roquefort appears in texts dating back to 79 AD, so folks have been feeling blue for a long, long time. Gorgonzola was created around 879 AD, while Stilton didn’t appear until the 18th century.

I’m a big fan of blue cheese, so I for one was looking forward to this holiday. Tara, on the other hand? Not so much. So I find it highly suspicious that she got sick today and had to leave work early with a bad cold. Hmm. Blue cheese dressing would have been the obvious and easy choice, but I consider myself a bit of a Renaissance man. Which mean, a hamburger topped with blue cheese crumbles instead. Delicious! And to her credit, my “sick” wife did take her requisite bite of the burger. (OK, I’ll take away the quotation marks. She really is sick, poor thing. I’m just glad this was a relatively easy challenge and did not require a trip to a restaurant or a lot of serious baking).

Moo-ve yourself over to the refrigerator if you’re looking forward to celebrating today’s food holiday. September 27 is National Chocolate Milk Day!

It’s also National Corned Beef Hash Day, and while that is one of my favorite breakfasts, it wasn’t on the menu at my work symposium this morning, so we had to settle for chocolate milk. “Settle” is kind of harsh though, considering how creamy, smooth, and delicious chocolate milk is!

Chocolate milk was the brainchild of Sir Hans Sloane, President of the Royal Society of Britain (he actually succeeded Sir Isaac Newton), founder of the British Museum, and personal physician to Queen Anne and George II. While on a trip to Jamaica in 1687, he witnessed malnourished babies being given a mixture of cocoa, water, and spices to help cure their ailments. Upon returning home, he added cocoa to milk, and touted it as a therapeutic beverage with “health giving” qualities. “Take that, Mr. an-apple-fell-on-my-head-and-now-I’m-famous!” he may or may not have remarked, referring to his well-known contemporary’s discovery of gravity. Chocolate milk was considered a medicinal drink for about 200 years, until the Cadbury brothers invented their own version of drinking chocolate in 1820. Over time, this tasty beverage became a childhood classic, and is served either premade, or mixed at home using either cocoa powder or chocolate syrup.

To celebrate, Tara and I enjoyed a glass of chocolate milk for breakfast. I drank mine before I left the house, so this food challenge was completed especially early! (Though chances are we’ll never top the one-minute-past-midnight mark as we did with vanilla custard).